Anti-SAFE Act rally features Trump, Astorino, Paladino

With the state Capitol for a backdrop, a few thousand protesters railed against New York's gun-control laws on Tuesday at a rally that featured remarks from celebrity billionaire Donald Trump.

The protesters filled the south end of Albany's Empire State Plaza, as speaker after speaker berated Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature for passing the SAFE Act last year, which has sparked numerous protests at the Capitol and around the state.

"He took away your rights," Astorino, the Westchester County executive, said of Cuomo. "You take away his job."

As with previous pro-gun rallies at the Capitol, Cuomo was the most-frequent target of the protesters ire. One man, dressed in Revolutionary War-style garb, hoisted an effigy of Cuomo hanging from a stick, hitting the sculpture with toy guns that were later confiscated by State Police. (Signs hung around the rally site warned protesters that bringing toy guns or replicas onto the premises was prohibited.)

Addressing the crowd, Trump said New York is in “big trouble,” with corrupt politicians, high taxes and businesses and residents leaving the state, Gannett's Ashley Hupfl reports.

From Hupfl:

“On top of everything, they give you the SAFE Act,” Trump said. “I’m a big second amendment person; I’m a strong believer in it. You have the constitutional right to keep and bare arms and you have that right and they are taking it away, slowly, but surely, they’re taking it away. And they’re not taking it away from the bad guys.” Trump called the SAFE Act one of the worst and fastest written bills ever signed into law. Trump also said he holds a pistol permit in the state.Many in the crowd held “Trump for Governor” signs while Trump was speaking. A protester at the rally, Don Sawyer from Monroe County, said he wished Trump was running for governor, but since Trump is not running, he hopes Astorino defeats Cuomo in the election. Minutes after Trump left the rally, his Sikorsky helicopter will "TRUMP" painted on the side buzzed over the crowd.

Cuomo on Tuesday told reporters that gun-control issues have "driven strong feelings on both sides for decades."

"It's a topic that drives strong emotions, like many topics," Cuomo said. "A woman's right to choose -- strong emotion. The DREAM Act, by the way -- strong emotion. So I understand it, but it's the nature of the discussion."

Jon Campbell is an Albany correspondent for Gannett's New York outlets. He's been working out of the Albany Bureau since 2011, covering Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration and the state Legislature. Previously, he was the environment and health reporter for the Press &amp; Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton. A native of Lockport, Niagara County, he's an avid Bills and Sabres fan.